Scaffold structural element



March 13, 1962 .1. A. SANTORO scAFToLD STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Filed Jan. 30, 1961 HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofice 3,024,866 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 3,024,866 SCAFFQLD STRUCTURAL ELEMENT `Ioseph A. Santoro, 55 Dunston Ave., Yonkers, N Y. Filed Jan. 30, 1%1, Ser. No. 85,581 2 Claims. (Cl. ISL-229) The present invention relates to structural elements commonly known in the building trades as putlogs and, more particularly, to new and improved structural elements of this character that have a much longer useful life than has been possible heretofore.

In the construction of buildings from brick and the like, it is standard practice to erect scaffolding to provide platforms at spaced levels from which the bricklayers and other workmen can do their work. In such scaffolding, the platforms are usually supported on structural elements termed putlogs. These are pieces of lumber each reinforced by a bar of a material such as steel having an integral hook member at one end which is inserted into the space between a pair of adjacent bricks. At its other end, each putlog is nailed to a horizontal plank carried by uprights supported on the ground. Customarily, all of the scaffolding is left in place until the building has been erected to the desired height.

In dismantling the scaffolding, the planks forming the platforms are lifted, the nails securing the putlogs to the uprights are removed, the putlog hook members are extracted from the brick wall and the putlogs are usually thrown to the ground. As a result of such rough handling, the hook members are frequently bent or broken. While the hooks that are bent may be straightened, this is likely to cause breakage or at least structural weakening of the hook member to the point where the device cannot be used with safety. In addition, repeated nailing of the putlog to horizontal supporting planks tends to split and shatter the wood in the nailing area so that before long the putlog cannot be nailed to a support. For these reasons, the rate of loss of putlogs in most construction work tends to be unduly high.

It is an object of the invention, accordingly, to provide a new and improved putlog which is free from the above-noted deficiencies of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved structural element of the above character which has a much longer useful life than devices of this type that have previously been available.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by providing a putlog having a reinforcing bar that is detachably secured to the hook member which is anchored in the wall under construction. Also, one or more nailing plates made of steel or other suitable material are secured to the putlog at the place or places where the latter is to be supported in use. Such nailing plates may have holes formed therein to receive nails or other suitable fastening means. In this fashion, even though the underlying wood may shatter and split as a result of frequent nailing, the putlog can still be nailed firmly to a support by reason of the presence of the nailing plate. Also, in the event the hook member becomes damaged or broken, it can easily be removed and replaced with another. As a result, the useful life of putlogs according to the invention can be considerably greater than the devices available heretofore.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of a typical embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. l is a partial side view of a putlog constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the structural element shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view in transverse section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of a detachable hook member for the structural element shown in FIG. l.

Referring to FIG. l, a typical putlog according to the invention comprises a support member 10 made of a suitable building material such as cypress wood, for example, reinforced by a bar 11 of steel or other strong material. The bar 11 may be inserted in a groove 12 cut in one side of the support member 1t) as shown. At one end of the support member 10 is a detachable hook member 13 of a conventional size and shape which is adapted to be inserted between adjoining bricks in a brick wall comprising part of a building that is being constructed. As shown in FIGS. l and 2, the hook member 13 is separate from the reinforcing bar 11 and it is secured to the latter by suitable fastening means such as rivets 14, 15 and `16 which extend completely through the support member 1li. In order to provide additional support for the hook member 13, a retainer member 17 shaped generally in the form of a U is also secured to the support member 10 by the rivets 15 and 16.

On the opposite sides of the support member 10 at the approximate location where the latter is adapted to be nailed to a suitable support are a pair of nailing plates 17a and 18 in each of which are formed a plurality of holes 18a through which nails may be driven at an angle to secure the support member 10 to its support. The nailing plates 17a and 18 are secured to the support member 1i) by any suitable fastening means, such as the rivets 19 and Ztl. The rivets 19 and 20 are preferably positioned away from the nailing holes 18a, as shown, so that they will retain the nailing plates 17a and 18 securely to the support member 1t), even though the portion of the support member 16 directly beneath the nailing holes 1&1 may become shattered or weakened as a result of frequent nailing to a support in use. It will be noted that the rivets 19 and 2li also pass through the reinforcing bar 11 so that they aid in securing the latter to the support member 1d.

It will be apparent that if the hook member 13 becomes bent or broken off, it is a relatively simple matter to remove the heads of the rivets 14B, 15 and 16 and substitute a new hook member for the one that has been damaged. This can be done at relatively little cost. Also, it will be understood that the presence of the nailing plates 17a and 13 will enable the putlog to be nailed securely to a support long after the portions of the support member 1t) immediately beneath the nailing holes 18ml have become shattered or destroyed so that the life of the putlog is much longer than the average life of conventional devices now in use.

While a specific embodiment has been described above and shown in the drawings, it will be understood that modifications in form and detail are possible within the spirit of the invention. For example, the support member 1G may be made of materials other than wood and the reinforcing bar, the nailing plates and the hook member 13 may be secured to the support member by other forms of fastening means than rivets, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is intended to encompass all such m-odiications as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a structural element, the combination of a light, rigid support member of substantially rectangular crosssection having a slot in one side extending for the length thereof, a reinforcing bar in said slot, a separate replaceable hook member overlapping a portion of said bar and extending from said support member, nailing plate means on at least one side of said support member intermediate the ends thereof, said nailing plate means having a plunuages@ rality of apertures therein near and overlying an edge of said support member to receive and guide means adapted to pass through a portion of said support member for fastening the latter to a support, and a plurality of fastening means extending through said support member and securing said hook member, reinforcing bar and nailing plate means thereto.

2. In a structural element, the combination of a light, rigid support member of substantially rectangular crosssection having a slot in one side extending for the length thereof, a reinforcing bar in said slot, a hook member overlapping a portion of said bar and extending from said support member, a U shaped retainer member retaining said bar and hook member in said slot, fastening means extending transversely through said retainer member, hook member, reinforcing bar and support member, nailing plate means mounted on opposite sides of said support member intermediate the ends thereof, each of said nailing plate means having a plurality of apertures therein d, near and overlying an edge of said support member to receive means adapted to pass through a portion of said support member for fastening the latter to a support, and fastening means extending through said support member reinforcing bar and nailing plate means for securing the latter to said support member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 656,298 OBrien Aug. 21, 1900 1,516,971 Kingston Nov. 25, 1924` 1,610,013 Kingston Dec. 7, 1926 1,660,693 Urmson Feb. 28, 1928 1,943,871 Landberg Ian. 16, 1934 2,185,948 Pimm Jan. 2, 1940 2,793,003 Brochers May 21, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 182,280 Great Britain July 6, 1922 

